Customer Reviews

The Indian Vegan Kitchen: More Than 150 Quick and Healthy Homestyle Recipes

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Since I have Type 2 diabetes and have successfully reversed it by switching first to a lowfat vegetarian diet, and then to a lowfat vegan diet (with even better results), I was thrilled to find a vegan cookbook which highlights my absolute favorite cuisine, the cuisine of India. As I began to read, learn, and cook from the Indian Vegan Kitchen, I realized that I had finally found someone who could explain Indian cooking techniques, ingredients, and recipes in a way that made sense to me as an American. It is clear to me that Madhu Gadia understands the kind of necessary background information and instructions that an ordinary American like me needs in order to transform her own kitchen into a palace of Indian delights. I have made quite a few recipes from the Indian Vegan Kitchen, all with their own distinctive flavors, and all successfully delicious! So far I have made a Kidney Bean dish, Carrots and Turnips, Black-eyed Peas and Potatoes, Zucchini, and Black Gram and Bengal Gram Dahl. I follow her recipes exactly, but have adjusted the ingredients to meet my health needs. Namely, I have reduced the amount of oil and salt. I also reduced the amount of cayenne pepper, since we like spicy, but not really hot food. That said, the recipes themselves have resulted in some very healthy and enjoyable eating at my house, and I can't wait to try the rest of the recipes in this cookbook. Madhu Gadia has included very helpful information on Indian spices, as well as the dals (beans and pulses) used in Indian cooking. She explains the basic techniques of Indian cooking, too. AND she has a website, [...], from which she is able to answer any questions you might have about her recipes or about Indian cooking. Before this cookbook, my husband and I were dependent on Indian restaurants for good Indian cuisine, but now my own house smells as fragrant and enticing as an Indian restaurant! But I enjoy it even more than a restaurant, because I know that all the recipes are vegan. I have already recommended this cookbook to many of my friends, and would recommend it to anyone who loves Indian cooking. I look forward to trying her New Indian Home Cooking cookbook as well. Thank you, Madhia! This is a dream come true for me.

I am so grateful that this book exists since I loooove Indian food and cook vegan only. Some of the recipes are really delicious, particularly the three lentils dish. But, there are a lot of issues with recipes and you need to be careful in using them. Sometimes ingredients will be listed but then when you follow the steps they are never mentioned again. Other times the amount of water required or cooking time seems off. I get the feeling that no one actually tested the recipes out to make sure they work perfectly and include all the necessary details. It's frustrating, but I am still very happy to have the book since it does meet my needs and lets me have tons of Indian vegan recipes all in one book. Also, there's a lot of variety in terms of recipes and North and South Indian food, but I do wish there were more easy to cook "main dishes" or what the author labels daal.

I have always been on the fence about Indian food - sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. But I do love how vegetarian-friendly the cuisine is, so I was thrilled to see an all vegan cookbook. I bought it to try to discover new ways to cook staples of mine (like lentils, cauliflower and other veggies) and I certainly did! I've been cooking soups in a new and much tastier way thanks to this book - simmering the beans and sauteeing the seasonings and vegetables in a separate pan, then stirring it in once the beans/lentils are done cooking. It's simple but revolutionary, and has brought a lot more flavor into my cooking. Also, the recipes are so straightforward and simple that I've had no problems substituting a lot of ingredients. I didn't buy all of the traditional spices she says to use, but the results were delicious with whatever I had on hand to throw in. The flatbreads are also great! I am not much of a baker and the onion flatbread is so easy and delicious! A must have for anyone wanting to expand their cooking repertoire and discover delicious new and very healthy flavors.

It's ridiculous how many Vegetarian Indian cookbooks I have, but this one is among my favorites.

What I appreciated most was the labeling of Gluten Free recipes. I'm eat a gluten free, vegan diet one thing I miss is naan, roti, and puri. She gives alternative breads that are great accompaniments to your dishes.

The recipes are very healthy and some of the best I have ever used. I appreciated all the breakdown and explanations of diet and ingredients.

I haven't been able to find the right rajma recipe and this was a winning combo of ingredients (I did add 1 black cardamom seed and a pinch of black cumin seeds).

Enjoy!

Just got this in the mail, as a surprise! Love Indian food, love vegan food and am prepared to love this cookbook. Haven't made anything yet, but I'm going to change that later today. I'm super excited.
I do have one problem with the book-it's not completely vegan. I haven't read every recipe but there's a few that use butter in the frying or ghee as well. The author also talks about how some of the bread is so good with a little butter. I'm wondering if she knows where butter comes from? (Not really) I wish the editors would have caught that. Not a big deal but you can tell this author isn't really a part of the vegan culture.

I love Indian Cuisine and I have always longed for a collection of vegan recipes. This one does the trick. I like the fact that it has a nutritional analysis for each recipe and that the author makes a point to explain the ingredients used in the recipes in the beginning of the book. She also has an excellent list of resources for where to find ingredients if they are not readily available in your area, as well as when to substitute or just leave out items you don't have. The recipes are easy to follow and much less complicated and lower in fat than other indain recipes I have followed. The only thing I didn't like was that many of the recipes were rather mild and I like my Indian food strongly flavored. I fixed this issue by doubling the spices in all of the recipes I have made so far. (I did leave the chiles the same because I did not want the food too hot, just not bland).

Indian food is a delicious delicacy filled with flavorful curries, sensory-stimulating vegetables, and mouthwatering deep-fried treats. 'The Indian Vegan Kitchen' brings restaurant favorites to your fingertips. Madhu Gadia, veteran chef and registered dietitian, presents a bevy of healthy dishes touting complex flavors and simple steps. Snack on made-from-scratch savories, such as the Hot-Spicy Cereal Mix, or devour traditional chaat in the form of Potato-Patty Cakes covered in tangy chutney. Gadia uses her nutrition background to educate readers about healthy eating and includes nearly 30 meal plans for balanced meals, along with a well-written history on Indian food and spices. The only thing missing is photographs. Whether you're new to Indian cooking or a seasoned chef, this all-vegan resource will prove itself indispensable in your culinary journey.

I don't own a cookbook and never buy books, but I took a chance and bought this after finding Madhu Gadia on the web. I was intrigued by her flax-seed roti recipe. So much of Indian cooking is fried and full of fat, so this was appealed to my interest in Indian cooking and healthy eating. I am vegetarian by choice, and vegan once a week!

I already know the basics of Indian cooking, being a 2nd generation Indian, but wish I had this book earlier. It explains all the different spices & beans we use, including Hindi and English equivalents. It was truly so easy to follow, and yet challenging enough for me as a (somewhat) experienced cook. She even includes nutrition information!

So far every recipe I've tried has been satisfying. I've even followed her recipes for items I already knew how to cook, and was happy with the results.

I would recommend this book to others. It really beats doing pointless Google searches for recipes that may or may not be healthy (or taste good!).

This book has completely altered my cooking habits. I love to cook and I love Indian food but my wife can't handle hot food and we are 90% vegan...so this book is a treasure...a real gift.

I cook from this book about once a week...and now almost always have a dal in the fridge...and my two-year-old grandson now absolutely loves dal.

Ready for a complete refreshment of your cooking? Get it!

Vegans who are sick of tofu and are looking for more ways to cook beans will appreciate these recipes. And anyone who prefers spicy over salty should check out this cookbook too.

The ingredient and nutrition guides in the beginning chapters are informative without overwhelming. The author also provides 28 sample menus that help you quickly put together a complete and healthy dinner, and take out the guess work for pairing dishes. Nutritional information is also provided with each recipe.

I've tried a dozen or so recipes, and they've all tasted fresh yet felt substantial. These are my favorites so far:

Black-Eyed Peas & Potatoes - have made this about 5 times, everyone loves!
Roasted Carrots & Turnips
Curried Mushrooms & Peas
Mashed Eggplant

There are also some quick cold salads, as well as pastries and beverages to compliment the spicier dishes.

For the most part recipes proceed as the author describes. However, they generally take me longer than the book predicts. That's in part due to my inexperience with the recipes, but most dishes need to simmer longer than the book estimates.

Despite that, I love this book and use it at least once a week. I would recommend it to anyone - beginners and experienced cooks, vegans and omnivores.